Systems and methods of electronic gaming including an upgradeable game object

Abstract

An electronic gaming machine includes a game controller configured to perform operations including: (i) simulating a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols; (ii) presenting an upgradeable game object; (iii) spinning and stopping each reel, whereby symbols from each reel are stopped and displayed; (iv) determining that the symbols stopped and displayed include a number of special symbols greater than at least a threshold number of special symbols; (v) depicting, in response, a first upgrade to the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object; (vi) increasing, in addition to depicting the first upgrade to the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object, the credit value of the upgradeable game object by a first credit amount; and (vii) adding, in response to a specified trigger event, the credit value associated with the upgradeable object to the credit balance of the player.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic gaming machine configured to present an electronic game in which an upgradeable game object displayed during the electronic game accrues value during play of the electronic game, the electronic gaming machine comprising:
 a first display; 
 a second display; 
 a player input interface configured to receive a player input; and 
 a game controller configured to perform operations comprising:
 simulating, on the first display, a plurality of reels, each reel of the simulated plurality of reels comprising a plurality of symbols; 
 presenting, on the second display, the upgradeable game object, the upgradeable game object having a visual appearance that is upgradeable during the electronic game, the upgradeable game object further associated with a credit value that is increasable during the electronic game; 
 spinning and stopping, on the first display, each reel of the simulated rotating plurality of reels, whereby symbols from each reel are stopped and displayed; 
 determining that the symbols stopped and displayed from each of the simulated plurality of reels include a number of special symbols greater than at least a threshold number of special symbols; 
 depicting, on the second display and in response to the determining, a first upgrade to the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object; 
 increasing, in addition to depicting the first upgrade to the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object, the credit value of the upgradeable game object by a first credit amount; and 
 adding, in response to a specified trigger event, the credit value associated with the upgradeable object to a credit balance of the player. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller is further configured to perform operations comprising:
 cashing out the electronic game in response to the specified trigger event; 
 setting the credit value to an initial credit value; and 
 returning the upgradeable game object to an initial visual appearance. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller is further configured to perform operations comprising:
 further upgrading the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels; and 
 further increasing the credit value of the upgradeable game object based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the upgradeable game object is associated with a plurality of stages of completion, and wherein the game controller is further configured to perform operations comprising:
 upgrading the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object to correspond to one of the plurality of stages of completion based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels each time a number of special symbols greater than at least the threshold number of special symbols are stopped and displayed on the simulated plurality of reels; and 
 increasing the credit value of the upgradeable game object based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the upgradeable game object is associated with a plurality of stages of completion, and wherein the game controller is further configured to perform operations comprising:
 displaying a completion meter including the plurality of stages of completion; 
 displaying, on the completion meter and in response to determining that the symbols stopped and displayed from each of the simulated plurality of reels include a number of special symbols greater than at least the threshold number of special symbols, an indication of one of the plurality of stages of completion. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller is further configured to perform operations comprising:
 randomly generating the specified trigger event; and 
 adding, in response to the randomly generated specified trigger event, the credit value associated with the upgradeable object to the credit balance of the player. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller is further configured to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from the player, a request to cash out of the electronic game; and 
 adding, in response to receiving the request, the credit value associated with the upgradeable object to the credit balance of the player. 
 
     
     
       8. A method for presenting an electronic game on an electronic gaming machine in which an upgradeable game object is displayed and accrues value during the electronic game, the electronic gaming machine comprising a display configured to present the electronic game, a player input interface, and a game controller, the method comprising:
 simulating, by the game controller, a plurality of reels, each reel of the simulated plurality of reels comprising a plurality of symbols; 
 presenting, by the game controller, the upgradeable game object, the upgradeable game object having a visual appearance that is upgradeable during the electronic game, the upgradeable game object further associated with a credit value that is increasable during the electronic game; 
 spinning and stopping, by the game controller, each reel of the simulated rotating plurality of reels, whereby symbols from each reel are stopped and displayed; 
 determining, by the game controller, that the symbols stopped and displayed from each of the simulated plurality of reels include a number of special symbols greater than at least a threshold number of special symbols; 
 depicting, by the game controller and in response to the determining, a first upgrade to the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object; 
 increasing, by the game controller and in addition to depicting the first upgrade to the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object, the credit value of the upgradeable game object by a first credit amount; and 
 adding, by the game controller and in response to a specified trigger event, the credit value associated with the upgradeable object to a credit balance of the player. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 cashing out the electronic game, by the game controller, in response to the specified trigger event; 
 setting, by the game controller, the credit value to an initial credit value; and 
 returning, by the game controller, the upgradeable game object to an initial visual appearance. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 further upgrading, by the game controller, the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels; and 
 further increasing, by the game controller, the credit value of the upgradeable game object based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the upgradeable game object is associated with a plurality of stages of completion, the method further comprising:
 upgrading, by the game controller, the visual appearance of the upgradeable game object to correspond to one of the plurality of stages of completion based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels each time a number of special symbols greater than at least the threshold number of special symbols are stopped and displayed on the simulated plurality of reels; and 
 increasing, by the game controller, the credit value of the upgradeable game object based upon one or more subsequent spins and stops of the simulated plurality of reels. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the upgradeable game object is associated with a plurality of stages of completion, the method further comprising:
 displaying, by the game controller, a completion meter including the plurality of stages of completion; 
 displaying, by the game controller and in response to determining that the symbols stopped and displayed from each of the simulated plurality of reels include a number of special symbols greater than at least the threshold number of special symbols, an indication of one of the plurality of stages of completion on the completion meter. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 randomly generating, by the game controller, the specified trigger event; and 
 adding, by the game controller and in response to the randomly generated specified trigger event, the credit value associated with the upgradeable object to the credit balance of the player.